The implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2002 and subsequent sanctions for lower performing school systems has resulted in a number of both positive and negative consequences. One negative effect of NCLB is that teachers report a great deal of anxiety with regard to state-mandated assessments. The authors propose that one cause for the fear and anxiety teachers experience with regard to high-stakes state-mandated summative exams is the inability of educational researchers and policy makers to supply teachers with assessment-related language to support their instructional efforts. The design of research that supports an effective model for the use of state-mandated assessment outcomes should extend beyond NCLB related sanctions and provide useful direction to educators. The purpose of this article is to highlight the absence of a sound and usable vocabulary related to summative and formative assessment models for classroom educators. Moreover, the authors describe a new way of defining formative and summative assessment in which assessment is separated from the evaluation of assessment outcomes (what we call formative and summative evaluation) as well as a practical example of how this terminology can be used to unlock the power of high-stakes tests. (Contains 2 figures and 1 footnote.)